Browse publications by year: 2020

  1. Abdul Aziz FA, Suzuki K, Amano K, Moriuchi R, Dohra H, Tashiro Y, et al.
    Microbiol Resour Announc, 2020 Sep 10;9(37).
    PMID: 32912906 DOI: 10.1128/MRA.00597-20
    We report the draft genome sequence of Variovorax boronicumulans strain c24, which was isolated from a soil-inoculated chemostat culture amended with phenol as a sole carbon and energy source. The genome data will provide insights into phenol and other xenobiotic compound degradation mechanisms for bioremediation applications.
    MeSH terms: Base Sequence; Biodegradation, Environmental; Carbon; Energy-Generating Resources; Phenols; Soil; Phenol; Comamonadaceae
  2. Chong PS, Khairuddin S, Tse ACK, Hiew LF, Lau CL, Tipoe GL, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2020 09 10;10(1):14945.
    PMID: 32913245 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71966-z
    Cerebellar ataxia is a neurodegenerative disorder with no definitive treatment. Although several studies have demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of Hericium erinaceus (H.E.), its mechanisms in cerebellar ataxia remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of H.E. treatment in an animal model of 3-acetylpyridine (3-AP)-induced cerebellar ataxia. Animals administered 3-AP injection exhibited remarkable impairments in motor coordination and balance. There were no significant effects of 25 mg/kg H.E. on the 3-AP treatment group compared to the 3-AP saline group. Interestingly, there was also no significant difference in the 3-AP treatment group compared to the non-3-AP control, indicating a potential rescue of motor deficits. Our results revealed that 25 mg/kg H.E. normalised the neuroplasticity-related gene expression to the level of non-3-AP control. These findings were further supported by increased protein expressions of pERK1/2-pCREB-PSD95 as well as neuroprotective effects on cerebellar Purkinje cells in the 3-AP treatment group compared to the 3-AP saline group. In conclusion, our findings suggest that H.E. potentially rescued behavioural motor deficits through the neuroprotective mechanisms of ERK-CREB-PSD95 in an animal model of 3-AP-induced cerebellar ataxia.
    MeSH terms: Motor Disorders/genetics; Motor Disorders/metabolism; Motor Disorders/pathology; Motor Disorders/prevention & control*; Animals; Behavior, Animal/drug effects*; Cerebellar Ataxia/chemically induced; Cerebellar Ataxia/drug therapy*; Cerebellar Ataxia/psychology; Disease Models, Animal; Male; Neurotoxins/toxicity*; Purkinje Cells/drug effects; Purkinje Cells/pathology; Pyridines/toxicity*; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein/genetics; Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein/metabolism; Neuroprotective Agents/pharmacology*; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/genetics; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/metabolism; Rats
  3. Ng CL, Reaz MBI, Crespo ML, Cicuttin A, Chowdhury MEH
    Sci Rep, 2020 09 10;10(1):14891.
    PMID: 32913303 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71709-0
    A capacitive electromyography (cEMG) biomedical sensor measures the EMG signal from human body through capacitive coupling methodology. It has the flexibility to be insulated by different types of materials. Each type of insulator will yield a unique skin-electrode capacitance which determine the performance of a cEMG biomedical sensor. Most of the insulator being explored are solid and non-breathable which cause perspiration in a long-term EMG measurement process. This research aims to explore the porous medical bandages such as micropore, gauze, and crepe bandage to be used as an insulator of a cEMG biomedical sensor. These materials are breathable and hypoallergenic. Their unique properties and characteristics have been reviewed respectively. A 50 Hz digital notch filter was developed and implemented in the EMG measurement system design to further enhance the performance of these porous medical bandage insulated cEMG biomedical sensors. A series of experimental verifications such as noise floor characterization, EMG signals measurement, and performance correlation were done on all these sensors. The micropore insulated cEMG biomedical sensor yielded the lowest noise floor amplitude of 2.44 mV and achieved the highest correlation coefficient result in comparison with the EMG signals captured by the conventional wet contact electrode.
    MeSH terms: Bandages*; Electromyography/instrumentation*; Humans; Biosensing Techniques*; Porosity; Electric Capacitance*
  4. Low JH, Chee PS, Lim EH, Lee KY
    Sci Rep, 2020 Sep 10;10(1):14907.
    PMID: 32913321 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72021-7
    For the first time, a flexible and deformable liquid dielectric resonator antenna (LDRA) is proposed for air pressure sensing. The proposed LDRA can be made very compact as it has employed liquidized organic dielectric with high dielectric constant (~ 33) with low loss tangent (~ 0.05). Here, a soft elastomer container has been fabricated using soft-lithography method for holding the liquid, and an air cavity is tactfully embedded into the central part of a cylindrical DRA to form an annular structure that can be used for sensing air pressure. It will be shown that the inclusion of the air cavity is essential for making the antenna structure sensitive to pressure changes. Simulations and experiments have been conducted to verify the functionalities of the proposed organic LDRA as microwave radiator and as air pressure sensor. It has been proven to have higher antenna gain than the water LDRA in the frequency range of 1.8-2.8 GHz, while achieving a good air pressure sensitivity of 270 MHz/bar.
  5. Lin GS, Ghani NR, Ismail NH, Singbal K, Murugeshappa DG, Mamat N
    J Clin Exp Dent, 2020 Aug;12(8):e762-e770.
    PMID: 32913574 DOI: 10.4317/jced.56864
    Background: This study aimed to compare the fracture strength, fracture pattern and type of fracture of endodontically treated maxillary lateral incisors restored with new zirconia reinforced rice husk nanohybrid composite.

    Material and Methods: Eighty mature permanent maxillary lateral incisors from patients age range of 30-60 years with single canal were selected and randomly divided into: Group 1 - RCT + nanofilled composite (Filtek), Group 2 - RCT + microhybrid composite (Zmack), Group 3 - RCT + new nanohybrid composite (Zr-Hybrid) and Group 4 - Intact teeth (control). Standardized mesio-palatal-distal cavity was prepared, and endodontic treatment was carried out using crown-down technique until size 30, tapered 0.04. Obturation was completed using single cone technique with gutta-percha and AH plus sealer. Cavity access was restored with respective composite resins. Next, teeth were stored in incubator for 24 hours and subdivided into aged and unaged subgroups. Teeth in aged subgroups were subjected to 2500 thermal cycles for 5ºC, 37ºC and 55ºC with 30 seconds dwell time and 5 seconds transfer time. After that, root surfaces of teeth were covered with silicone-based material and placed in boxes filled with acrylic until the cemento-enamel-junction (CEJ) level. They were then tested under Universal Testing Machine until fracture occurred. Samples were then viewed under Leica microscope to determine the fracture pattern and type of fracture. Data analyzed using One-way ANOVA complimented by post hoc Tukey HSD and paired sample T test for fracture strength. Fracture pattern and type of fracture were analyzed using Chi-square test. Level of significance was set at p<0.05.

    Results: Significant differences were observed (p<0.05) with Group 3 demonstrating the highest fracture strength followed by Group 4, Group 1 and lastly Group 2 in both aged and unaged subgroups respectively. A significant decreased in fracture strength was noted in Group 1 and Group 2 (p<0.05) as number of thermocycle increased but no significant differences were noted in Group 3 and Group 4 (p>0.05). Besides, Group 3 and Group 4 showed higher rate of favorable fracture pattern, followed by Group 1 and lastly Group 2. Most favorable fracture pattern was noted to exhibit horizontal fracture type (86.36%), whereas most unfavorable fracture pattern exhibited vertical fracture type (77.78%).

    Conclusions: Endodontically treated teeth restored with new zirconia reinforced rice husk nanohybrid composite (Zr-Hybrid) demonstrated higher fracture strength than commercialized composite resins especially after artificial ageing. Zr-Hybrid showed similar fracture pattern to those of intact teeth with higher rate of horizontal fracture type. Key words:Fracture strength, fracture pattern, composite resin, rice husk, Zirconia.

  6. Ibrahim MA, Zulkifli SZ, Azmai MNA, Mohamat-Yusuff F, Ismail A
    Toxicol Rep, 2020;7:1039-1045.
    PMID: 32913717 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2020.08.011
    Early-life exposure to toxic chemicals causes irreversible morphological and physiological abnormalities that may last for a lifetime. The present study aimed to determine the toxicity effect of 3,4-Dichloroaniline (3,4-DCA) on Javanese medaka (Oryzias javanicus) embryos. Healthy embryos were exposed to various 3,4-DCA concentrations for acute toxicity (5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 mg.L-1) and sublethal toxicity (0.10, 0.50, 1.25, 2.50, and 5.00 mg.L-1) for 96 h and 20 days respectively. Acute toxicity test revealed that the median lethal concentration (96h-LC50) was 32.87 mg.L-1 (95 % CI = 27.90-38.74, R2 = 0.95). Sublethal exposure revealed that 1.25 mg.L-1 at 3 days post-exposure (3 dpe) has a significant lower heartrate (120 ± 12.3 beats/min., p 
    MeSH terms: Aniline Compounds; Animals; Embryo, Mammalian; Heart Rate; Indonesia; Oryzias; Toxicity Tests, Acute
  7. Mansor AF, Azmi AI, Zain MZM, Jamaluddin R
    Heliyon, 2020 Aug;6(8):e04812.
    PMID: 32913911 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04812
    Nickel-titanium shape memory alloy (NiTi) has a unique capacity to restore its initial shape after deformation, which is highly applicable to orthopaedic implantations, especially for the minimization of invasive surgeries. The high nickel content of this alloy can lead to unfavourable effects on the human body upon dissolution; thus, a reliable barrier of coatings on the NiTi surface is required to alleviate the nickel migration and increase its biocompatibility. In this paper, analyses of a titanium oxide layer development on NiTi surface using electrical discharge coating (EDC) process is presented. The recast layer thickness, crater sizes, and surface roughness were characterized based on five parameters; polarity, discharge duration, pulse interval, peak current, and gap voltage. The results show that the discharge duration is the most significant parameter to influence all responses, followed by peak current. The surface characteristics of the EDC substrate is depending on the crater formations and is highly correlated with the discharge energy intensity. As a result, appropriate parametric conditions of the electrical discharge coating process can enhance the NiTi surface for future medical applications, without compromising the shape memory effect.
    MeSH terms: Alloys; Body Fluids; Humans; Nickel; Orthopedics; Solubility; Titanium; Human Body
  8. Fan HY, Dumont MJ, Simpson BK
    Curr Res Food Sci, 2020 Nov;3:146-157.
    PMID: 32914130 DOI: 10.1016/j.crfs.2020.04.002
    The recovery of gelatins from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) skin for film formation and characterization was studied. Fish skins pre-treated with trypsin (250 U/g) produced the highest hydroxyproline content (7.41 ± 0.49 mg hydroxyproline/g treated skin) and yield (53.05 ± 4.38%) of gelatin, as compared to the use of saline solution. Pre-treatment with a lower concentration of trypsin (1 U/g) at a shorter pre-treatment time successfully reduced the degradation of gelatin with co-production of high molecular weight α-chains. Gelatin was further extracted by a trypsin-aided process for film formation and characterization. Films with increasing protein concentration (from 1 to 5%, w/v) exhibited higher thickness, tensile strength, and elongation at break (EAB), but a marked decrease in EAB for films with 6 and 7% (w/v). Films with 5% proteins showed higher thickness, lower tensile strength and higher EAB with increasing concentrations of glycerol (from 10 to 50% of proteins, w/w). All films exhibited high water uptake, decrease in light transmission and an increase in opacity as the protein and glycerol contents increased. Electrophoretic studies showed that the increase in the mechanical properties of the films was correlated with the increase in protein concentration, owing to the increased content of high molecular weight chain fractions. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the interaction between the proteins and glycerol for all films. This study demonstrated the viability of the trypsin supplementation process to obtain salmon skin gelatin for film formation.
  9. Tay AK, Mohsin M, Hau KM, Badrudduza M, Balasundaram S, Morgan K, et al.
    Psychol Med, 2020 Sep 11.
    PMID: 32914737 DOI: 10.1017/S0033291720003104
    BACKGROUND: Large variations in prevalence rates of common mental disorder (CMD) amongst refugees and forcibly displaced populations have raised questions about the accuracy and value of epidemiological surveys in these cross-cultural settings. We examined the associations of sociodemographic indices, premigration traumatic events (TEs), postmigration living difficulties (PMLDs), and psychosocial disruptions based on the Adaptive Stress Index (ASI) in relation to CMD prevalence amongst the Rohingya, Chin and Kachin refugees originating from Myanmar and relocated to Malaysia.

    METHODS: Parallel epidemiological studies were conducted in areas where the three groups were concentrated in and around Malaysia (response rates: 80-83%).

    RESULTS: TE exposure, PMLDs and ASI were significantly associated with CMD prevalence in each group but the Rohingya recorded the highest exposure to all three of these former indices relative to Chin and Kachin (TE: mean = 11.1 v. 8.2 v. 11; PMLD: mean = 13.5 v. 7.4 v. 8.7; ASI: mean = 128.9 v. 32.1 v. 35.5). Multiple logistic regression analyses based on the pooled sample (n = 2058) controlling for gender and age, found that ethnic group membership, premigration TEs (16 or more TEs: OR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.39-2.88; p < 0.001), PMLDs (10-15 PMLDs: OR, 4.19; 95% CI, 3.17-5.54; 16 or more PMLDs: OR, 7.23; 95% CI, 5.24-9.98; p < 0.001) and ASI score (ASI score 100 or greater: OR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.46-3.30; p < 0.001) contributed to CMD.

    CONCLUSIONS: Factors specific to each ethnic group and differences in the quantum of exposure to TEs, PMLDs and psychosocial disruptions appeared to account in large part for differences in prevalence rates of CMDs observed across these three groups.

    MeSH terms: Mental Disorders; Myanmar; Chin; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Ethnic Groups; Humans; Malaysia; Surveys and Questionnaires; Refugees; Prevalence; Logistic Models; Epidemiologic Studies; Craniomandibular Disorders
  10. Krishnamoorthy M, Mohd Noor N, Mat Lazim N, Abdullah B
    Drugs, 2020 Nov;80(17):1831-1851.
    PMID: 32915441 DOI: 10.1007/s40265-020-01406-9
    BACKGROUND: In treating allergic rhinitis, montelukast has the potential to be used as an alternative or addition to an oral antihistamine or intranasal corticosteroid.

    OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of montelukast in treating allergic rhinitis.

    METHODS: An electronic literature search was performed using the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, and MEDLINE from 1966 to 21 January 2019. The eligibility criteria were randomized controlled trials comparing montelukast with placebo or other standard treatments. The primary outcomes assessed were daytime nasal symptom score (DNS) and night-time nasal symptom score (NNS). The secondary outcomes assessed were composite nasal symptom score (CSS), daytime eyes symptom score (DES), and rhinoconjunctivitis quality-of-life questionnaires (RQLQ). The meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.3 software based on the random-effects model.

    RESULTS: Fifteen studies of 10387 participants met the inclusion criteria. Montelukast was more effective than placebo in improving DNS (mean difference [MD] - 0.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] - 0.15 to - 0.08; p 

  11. Ariaratnam S, Rodzlan Hasani WS, Krishnapillai AD, Abd Hamid HA, Jane Ling MY, Ho BK, et al.
    PLoS One, 2020;15(9):e0238566.
    PMID: 32915860 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238566
    BACKGROUND: Obesity is a crucial public health problem and is rising globally. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of obesity and its associated factors among the elderly in Malaysia.
    METHODS: Data were obtained from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2015. This was a cross sectional population-based study using a two stage stratified random sampling design. Elderly population aged 60 years and above was selected. Data were collected using pre-tested self-administered questionnaire in the form of sociodemographic profile, non-communicable diseases (NCD) comorbidities (status on hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia) and NCD risk factors (current smoker and physical activity). Obesity has been defined using the World Health Organization (WHO) Body Mass Index (BMI) guideline, 1998. A complex sampling design analysis was used for the descriptive statistics. The associated risk factors for obesity were identified using Multiple Logistic Regression analysis.
    RESULTS: A total of 3794 respondents were included in this study. The prevalence of obesity among Malaysian elderly was 30.2%. The prevalence of obesity among the elderly was significantly higher in females, respondents from urban areas and Indians. Approximately one third of the elderly with non-communicable diseases such as hypertension (33.1%) and diabetes (38.8%), respectively, were obese. Among elderly who were obese, majority of them (89.8%) had at least one NCD. The prevalence of obesity was 16.8% among current smokers (aOR 0.59). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that elderly females (aOR [adjusted odds ratio] 1.52), having secondary education (aOR 1.96) with household income of RM 3000 and above (aOR 1.57) as well as being hypertensive (aOR 1.61) and diabetic (aOR 1.50) were more likely to be obese. In contrast, the Chinese elderly respondents (aOR 0.62) and current smokers (aOR 0.59) were less likely to be obese. There were no significant associations of obesity with hypercholesterolemia or with physical activity.
    CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of Malaysian elderly were obese, and factors associated with obesity among them were being female, having secondary education with a household income of RM 3000 and above and being hypertensive or diabetic. Enhanced health promotion and education should be targeted at younger people in order to prevent obesity in the later years.
    Study name: National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS-2015)
    MeSH terms: Aged; Female; Health Surveys*; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Morbidity; Obesity/epidemiology*; Risk Factors; Prevalence; Logistic Models
  12. Philip N, Affendy NB, Masri SN, Yuhana MY, Than LTL, Sekawi Z, et al.
    PLoS One, 2020;15(9):e0239069.
    PMID: 32915919 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239069
    The diagnosis of leptospirosis remains a challenge due to its non-specific symptoms and the biphasic nature of the illness. A comprehensive diagnosis that includes both molecular (polymerase chain reaction (PCR)) and serology is vital for early detection of leptospirosis and to avoid misdiagnosis. However, not all samples could be subjected to both tests (serology and molecular) due to budget limitation, infrastructure, and technical expertise at least in resource-limited countries. We evaluated the usefulness of testing the clinically suspected leptospirosis cases with both techniques on all samples collected from the patients on the day of admission. Among the 165 patient's blood/serum samples tested (from three hospitals in Central Malaysia), 43 (26%) showed positivity by microscopic agglutination test (MAT), 63 (38%) by PCR, while 14 (8%) were positive by both MAT and PCR. For PCR, we tested two molecular targets (lipL32 by qPCR and 16S rDNA or rrs by nested PCR) and detected lipL32 in 47 (29%) and rrs gene in 63 (38%) patients. The use of more than one target gene for PCR increased the detection rates. Hence, a highly sensitive multiplex PCR targeting more than one diagnostic marker is recommended for the early detection of Leptospira in suspected patients. When the frequencies for positivity detected either by MAT or PCR combined, leptospirosis was diagnosed in a total of 92 (56%) patients, a higher frequency compared to when samples were only tested by a single method (MAT or PCR). The results from this study suggest the inclusion of both serology and molecular methods for every first sample irrespective of the days post-onset of symptoms (DPO) collected from patients for early diagnosis of leptospirosis.
    MeSH terms: Agglutination Tests; Diagnostic Errors; DNA, Ribosomal; Humans; Leptospira; Leptospirosis; Malaysia; Professional Competence; Early Diagnosis; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  13. Cheng HS, Goh BH, Phang SCW, Amanullah MM, Ton SH, Palanisamy UD, et al.
    Nutrition, 2020 08 12;79-80:110973.
    PMID: 32916379 DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2020.110973
    OBJECTIVES: Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a multiplex risk factor for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, is increasingly prevalent worldwide. Ellagitannin geraniin, a polyphenol found in the rind of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), has demonstrated therapeutic effects against metabolism dysfunction. The aim of this study was to characterize the metabolic effects and possible mechanism of geraniin in rats with MetS induced by a high-fat diet (HFD).

    METHODS: MetS was induced in Sprague Dawley rats on an HFD, followed by a daily oral gavage of geraniin (25 mg/kg) for 4 wk. The outcomes of geraniin-treated rats were compared with those of untreated rats on either a control diet or an HFD and with rats with MetS treated with metformin on a daily basis (200 mg/kg).

    RESULTS: The supplementation of geraniin ameliorated multiple metabolic abnormalities caused by HFD, including hypertension, impaired glucose and lipid metabolism, ectopic fat deposition in the visceral fat and liver, and disturbed antioxidant mechanism and inflammatory response. The benefits conferred by geraniin were comparable to metformin. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a profound influence of geraniin on the hepatic expression profiles. The lipid and steroid metabolic processes that were aberrantly activated by HFD were suppressed by geraniin. Based on the differential transcriptomes, geraniin also exerted a significant modulatory effect on the expression of mitochondrial genes, potentially influencing the mitochondrial activity and leading to the observed beneficial effects.

    CONCLUSION: Geraniin supplementation mitigated metabolic anomalies of MetS in rats, making it an attractive drug candidate for further investigation.

    MeSH terms: Animals; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2*; Glucosides; Liver; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Hydrolyzable Tannins/pharmacology; Rats; Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects
  14. Razali S, Kirkman M, Fisher J
    Child Abuse Review, 2020;29:73-84.
    DOI: 10.1002/car.2573
    Although filicide is discussed with concern in the print media and online in Malaysia, there is little empirical evidence about its aetiology or appropriate responses. We sought to elucidate the opinions of health, social work, education and policy professionals in Malaysia on the causes of, and solutions to, filicide. Fifteen informants participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews. Informants attributed responsibility for filicide to girls and women as a consequence of their failure to comply with social norms and religious teachings; the stigmatised social position of women who are pregnant and unmarried was identified as a contributing factor. No informant mentioned the impact of gender-based violence, including sexual violence against girls and women. Informants' views reflect the dominant discourse of filicide in Malaysia, which is that it results from women's failure to adhere to Malaysian norms of morality, religion, customs and traditions. Solutions were largely directed at changing the behaviour of girls and women. Given the disparities between the public discourse and evidence of the experiences of women convicted of filicide, interventions that promote social change might be more effective than strategies targeting women. ‘We sought to elucidate the opinions of health, social work, education and policy professionals in Malaysia on the causes of, and solutions to, filicide’. ‘Filicide is generally agreed to denote the crime of a parent killing her or his child aged up to 18 years’. Key Practitioner Messages: There are adverse consequences for children and women in Malaysia when responsibility for child safety is placed on individual women and not referred to a society structured on strict gender roles and masculine power. Practitioners in Malaysia would benefit from international support to understand the effects of marginalised women's experiences. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Women; Domestic Violence*; Qualitative Research
  15. Teoh SL, Sapri SRB, Yusof MRBM, Yahaya MF, Das S
    J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci, 2020 09 01;59(5):512-518.
    PMID: 32600503 DOI: 10.30802/AALAS-JAALAS-19-000167
    Recently, the zebrafish has gained in popularity as a vertebrate animal model for biomedical research. Commercial zebrafish housing systems are available and are designed to maximize stocking density of fish for a given space, but these systems are expensive and purchasing them may not be feasible for emerging laboratories with limited funding. In this article, we describe the construction of a simple and affordable recirculating zebrafish housing system. This system can be constructed in 3 working days, with materials readily available in hardware stores. The cost for construction of the system was only 3,000 MYR (750 USD). The system consists of a water reservoir, a supply line that delivers water to the shelves holding the zebrafish tanks, and a drainage line that receives water from both the supply line and the shelves containing the fish tanks and returns this water to the reservoir. This system also has a 3-stage filtration process to ensure that clean water is delivered to the zebrafish tank. The system can house up to 360 zebrafish. This low-cost housing system may make research using zebrafish feasible some laboratories.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Housing, Animal/economics*; Laboratory Animal Science; Zebrafish/physiology*
  16. Lo TS, Al-Kharabsheh AM, Pue LB, Ng KL, Huang TX
    J Urol, 2020 10;204(4):787-792.
    PMID: 32898974 DOI: 10.1097/JU.0000000000001085
    PURPOSE: We evaluated mid urethral sling outcomes in overweight and obese patients compared to normal weight patients and identified risk factors for failure in this population.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Records of 688 women between January 2004 and July 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients received urodynamic studies, 1-hour pad test, Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7, and were divided into normal weight, overweight and obese. Objective cure at 1 year was defined as no involuntary urine leakage during filling cystometry and pad test less than 2 gm. Subjective cure was established by negative response to question 3 on Urogenital Distress Inventory-6. McNemar's test, chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U and Fisher's exact test were used for paired categorical variables. Independent samples t-tests and paired t-test were used for continuous parametric variables. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for failure.

    RESULTS: Objective and subjective cure in normal, overweight and obese patients was 91.4% and 89.1%, 87.5% and 86%, and 76% and 70.1%, respectively. There was no difference in surgical complications. Obese patients had worse quality of life scores preoperatively and postoperatively. Risk factors in obese patients with failed mid urethral sling included 66 years old or older (OR 2.02, 1.56-3.98), menopause (OR 4.21, 1.21-14.22), previous prolapse surgery (OR 4.57, 2.36-8.52), diabetes (OR 2.79, 1.61-5.99) and intrinsic sphincter deficiency (OR 5.06, 3.08-9.64).

    CONCLUSIONS: Obese women with mid urethral sling had lower objective and subjective cure at 1 year and worse quality of life scores compared to normal and overweight women. Risk factors for failure include age, diabetes, menopause, previous prolapse surgery and intrinsic sphincter deficiency.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Diagnostic Techniques, Urological; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Obesity/complications; Predictive Value of Tests; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Urologic Surgical Procedures/instrumentation; Urologic Surgical Procedures/methods; Urinary Incontinence, Stress/etiology; Urinary Incontinence, Stress/physiopathology; Urinary Incontinence, Stress/surgery*; Urodynamics; Treatment Failure; Overweight/complications; Suburethral Slings*; Preoperative Period; Diagnostic Self Evaluation
  17. Zailani MAH, Sabudin RZAR, Rahman RA, Saiboon IM, Ismail A, Mahdy ZA
    Medicine (Baltimore), 2020 Sep 04;99(36):e21967.
    PMID: 32899033 DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000021967
    INTRODUCTION: Medical products transportation has become an important research topic requiring multidisciplinary collaboration among experts in medicine, engineering, and health economics. Current modes of transportation are unable to overcome the limited settings in maternal healthcare, particularly during the event of obstetric emergencies. The drone is a promising medical product aerial transportation (MedART) that holds an enormous potential for delivery of medical supplies in the healthcare system. We conducted a systematic review to examine scientific evidence of positive impact of drone transportation on maternal health.

    METHODS: The following electronic databases were searched from inception to July 2019: ScienceDirect, PubMed, and EMBASE. The report was made in accordance with the principles of PRISMA guidelines. The search terms used were related to drones including unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and unmanned aerial system (UAS), and related to obstetric/maternal including obstetric emergencies and postpartum hemorrhage. Studies were selected if the intervention used were drones, and if any direct or indirect maternal health indicators were reported. Meta-analysis was not done throughout the study in view of the anticipated heterogeneity of each study.

    RESULTS: Our initial search yielded a total of 244 relevant publications, from which 236 were carried forward for a title and abstract screening. After careful examination, only two were included for systematic synthesis. Among the reasons for exclusion were irrelevance to maternal health purpose, and irrelevance to drone applications in healthcare. An updated search yielded one additional study that was also included. Overall, two studies assessed drones for blood products delivery, and one study used drones to transport blood samples.

    CONCLUSION: A significant deficiency was found in the number of reported studies analyzing mode of medical products transportation and adaptation of drones in maternal healthcare. Future drone research framework should focus on maternal healthcare-specific drone applications in order to reap benefits in this area.

    MeSH terms: Aircraft/instrumentation*; Emergencies; Female; Humans; Maternal Health Services/organization & administration*; Maternal Health Services/trends; Pregnancy; Remote Sensing Technology/instrumentation*; Remote Sensing Technology/trends
  18. Fahrina A, Arahman N, Mulyati S, Aprilia S, Mat Nawi NI, Aqsha A, et al.
    Polymers (Basel), 2020 Sep 03;12(9).
    PMID: 32899138 DOI: 10.3390/polym12092003
    Biofouling on the membrane surface leads to performance deficiencies in membrane filtration. In this study, the application of ginger extract as a bio-based additive to enhance membrane antibiofouling properties was investigated. The extract was dispersed in a dimethyl acetamide (DMAc) solvent together with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) to enhance biofouling resistance of the resulting membrane due to its antibiotic property. The concentrations of the ginger extract in the dope solution were varied in the range of 0-0.1 wt %. The antibacterial property of the resulting membranes was assessed using the Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. The results show an inhibition zone formed around the PVDF/ginger membrane against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus demonstrating the efficacy of the residual ginger extract in the membrane matrix to impose the antibiofouling property. The addition of the ginger extract also enhanced the hydrophilicity in the membrane surface by lowering the contact angle from 93° to 85°, which was in good agreement with the increase in the pure water flux of up to 62%.
    MeSH terms: Acetamides; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Escherichia coli; Plant Extracts; Polyvinyls; Solvents; Staphylococcus aureus; Water; Ginger; Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests; Biofouling; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  19. Silalahi DD, Midi H, Arasan J, Mustafa MS, Caliman JP
    Sensors (Basel), 2020 Sep 03;20(17).
    PMID: 32899292 DOI: 10.3390/s20175001
    The extraction of relevant wavelengths from a large dataset of Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) is a significant challenge in vibrational spectroscopy research. Nonetheless, this process allows the improvement in the chemical interpretability by emphasizing the chemical entities related to the chemical parameters of samples. With the complexity in the dataset, it may be possible that irrelevant wavelengths are still included in the multivariate calibration. This yields the computational process to become unnecessary complex and decreases the accuracy and robustness of the model. In multivariate analysis, Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR) is a method commonly used to build a predictive model from NIR spectral data. However, in the PLSR method and common commercial chemometrics software, there is no standard wavelength selection procedure applied to screen the irrelevant wavelengths. In this study, a new robust wavelength selection procedure called the modified VIP-MCUVE (mod-VIP-MCUVE) using Filter-Wrapper method and input scaling strategy is introduced. The proposed method combines the modified Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) and modified Monte Carlo Uninformative Variable Elimination (MCUVE) to calculate the scale matrix of the input variable. The modified VIP uses the orthogonal components of Partial Least Square (PLS) in investigating the informative variable in the model by applying the amount of variation both in X and y{SSX,SSY}, simultaneously. The modified MCUVE uses a robust reliability coefficient and a robust tolerance interval in the selection procedure. To evaluate the superiority of the proposed method, the classical VIP, MCUVE, and autoscaling procedure in classical PLSR were also included in the evaluation. Using artificial data with Monte Carlo simulation and NIR spectral data of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) fruit mesocarp, the study shows that the proposed method offers advantages to improve model interpretability, to be computationally extensive, and to produce better model accuracy.
    MeSH terms: Calibration; Data Collection; Fruit; Monte Carlo Method; Software; Reproducibility of Results; Multivariate Analysis; Least-Squares Analysis; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared
  20. Wasinger VC, Curnoe D, Boel C, Machin N, Goh HM
    Int J Mol Sci, 2020 Sep 03;21(17).
    PMID: 32899302 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176422
    The transitioning of cells during the systemic demise of an organism is poorly understood. Here, we present evidence that organismal death is accompanied by a common and sequential molecular flood of stress-induced events that propagate the senescence phenotype, and this phenotype is preserved in the proteome after death. We demonstrate activation of "death" pathways involvement in diseases of ageing, with biochemical mechanisms mapping onto neurological damage, embryonic development, the inflammatory response, cardiac disease and ultimately cancer with increased significance. There is sufficient bioavailability of the building blocks required to support the continued translation, energy, and functional catalytic activity of proteins. Significant abundance changes occur in 1258 proteins across 1 to 720 h post-mortem of the 12-week-old mouse mandible. Protein abundance increases concord with enzyme activity, while mitochondrial dysfunction is evident with metabolic reprogramming. This study reveals differences in protein abundances which are akin to states of stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS). The control of these pathways is significant for a large number of biological scenarios. Understanding how these pathways function during the process of cellular death holds promise in generating novel solutions capable of overcoming disease complications, maintaining organ transplant viability and could influence the findings of proteomics through "deep-time" of individuals with no historically recorded cause of death.
    MeSH terms: Aging*; Animals; Male; Phenotype; Postmortem Changes*; Stress, Physiological*; Signal Transduction; Cell Aging*; Proteome/analysis*; Proteome/metabolism*; Mice
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